Trouble |The Outsiders|

05. Changes

|October|1965|

Autumn was the season of change, and change was definitely coming to Tulsa.

It came with the bitter wind that shook the dead leaves from their branches as they littered the street, it came as a soft clink of coins in the girls' pockets as they walked around the Dingo, fake smiles painted to their faces.

September gave way to October three short days after the accident at the police station, now Abigail circled her half of the diner with a coffee pot in hand while Danny and Ponyboy wrote in their scribblers in booth number eight. Even if the youngest Curtis brother was only fourteen, he was one of the smartest kids in town. They talked quietly about the English homework, Danny occasionally glaring at his sister, or begging her to help him.

Abigail knew she couldn't stop Danny from being in the Shepard gang, a part of her found comfort in the fact that she wasn't the only one looking out for him in the streets, but Danny had changed, too.

"What did you do," she yelled as all four of the teenagers crammed back into Tim's car. Neither the boys responded, Tim's knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel. Both Curly and Danny kept their heads down to hide their identical black eyes and bloody noses in the back seat. Tim dropped the Masons back at the Dingo, Danny still refused to speak to his sister, even after she slid a milkshake in his direction.

He spent most of his nights prowling the streets with his gang while Abigail sat at the kitchen table, watching the hours tick by, waiting for Danny to walk through the door like always. The black leather jacket rarely left his side, she still had no idea where he'd gotten it.

"I should probably get goin', Darry doesn't like it when I miss dinner," Pony sighed as he shoved his belongings into his backpack. Danny grinned at him in appreciation before closing his own books and picking at the fries on his plate. Abigail turned her eyes to the clock as Pony climbed out of the booth, ten to five.

"Uh, hey Abi," he snickered, "you should come by later tonight, the gang would love to see you." His ears were the same colour as the apolstry, but before Abigail could question him further, the boy turned on his heel and marched out the door. Danny's face was turning pink as he bit down on his lip to contain his laughter, it was the only noise in the nearly empty restaurant.

"You didn't do much studying, did you," she teased while sinking into Ponyboy's spot. He grinned sheepishly across the table before shrugging. "We studied a little...but hearing Ponyboy yack about Soda yacking about you is much more interesting."

Heat rushed to her cheeks as Abigail pushed herself out of the booth and made her way around to collect the tips and bills left on the tables. "Oh, shut up, Danny. Get your things, we're goin' home."

The sky was already turning a dark blue as the two siblings walked down the road heading home. The town was quiet tonight, it was a Wednesday, after all. A cool breeze blew through the streets, shadowy figures danced across the road as they walked.

Being greasers, Abigail and Danny didn't have much to fear about walking the streets of their neighbourhood in the dying light. There was rarely a time greasers actually jumped other geasers without reason, and socs almost never came this far East. But that was another change autumn brought, the grudge between the Shepard gang and the Tiber Street Tigers was only growing.

He emerged from the shadows like a ghost, neither of the Masons realized he was there until he spoke. His eyes were light and darted around the road uneasily, his fists were jammed in the pockets of his leather jacket. "Well, if it ain't the Masons. We've been lookin' for one of ya's," he growled. He was thin and sickly, dark veins were pertruding from his yellowish skin. Even though she tried to ignore it, she felt the stranger's eyes travel down from her face, over her chest, before his eyes locked on her skirt. His hands twitched in his pockets, almost like he wanted to reach for something.

Danny pushed himself in front of her, making himself a human shield.  "Well, I'm right here, so what do ya want?"

The last bit of sunlight shone down on the steel knife Danny held in his fist. The stranger laughed, so high pitched, it almost sounded like breaking glass. His eyes narrowed as he spoke, "this isn't over, we're getting our cut whether you fucking Shepards wanna pay up or not." His head shot up, shifty eyes locking with Abigail's for a split second. "Or maybe I just gotta take something to the boss for a little compensation."

Abigail reached her hand out just in time to pull her brother back before he raked his blade across the  stranger's face. "Fuck off, Herman, she has nothing to do with this. Now get your ugly mug outta our territory before I cut it off."

With another shrieking laugh, Herman scampered off into an alley and back to the Tiger's territory. Once the danger, and pounding in their chests dissipated, Abigail slapped her brother on the back of the head. "I've waited three days for you to tell me what's goin' on, so you're gonna tell me right now!"

Danny looked at her, an annoyed look in his eye as he rubbed the back of his head. "Jesus, fine! Curly an' I were supposed to scope out their area, see if there's anything they needed on our territory," he explained.

"Daniel Edward Mason, if you are lying to me to cover something up I swear to God-"

He threw his hands up defensively as they continued on their way home, occasionally glancing over their shoulders. "I swear, I dunno know what he means by 'their cut', Tim doesn't trust us with the important shit, Curly an' I are just supposed to walk around an' not get arrested."

She rolled her eyes before throwing her arm around Danny's shoulders and pulling him into a hug. "I swear- one of these days, I'm gonna go over there and give Tim a piece of my mind."

Danny snickered, the idea of his sister, in all her five-foot-eight glory, yelling at Tim Shepard, was almost the funniest thing he'd thought of all day. "Sure thing, lemme know how that works out for you."

October didn't just change the season, it seemed to change the people. One of these people, was Eddy Mason. Abigail tried her best to forget the times her father turned to liquor to cope with his anger, but his booming voice and even louder footsteps seemed ingrained in her memory forever.

He never yelled at his children, he never did anything to hurt them. Yet Abigail was seven years old the first time her father had one of his outbursts, so she rushed her brother to the front yard and told him to rake the colourful leaves on the ground. It was a clever distraction, even after ten years Danny had no recollection of that day.

But for Abigail, it all seemed too real as they neared the house and their father's voice. Her breath hitched in her throat as he shouted obscenities, probably at the haunting memory of their mother.

"Just drop your stuff on the step," she told Danny softly, "let's head to the Curtis house."

Autumn was the season of change, and change was definitely coming to Tulsa.

Whether the Masons liked it or not.

*Cue shocked face* The plot thickens!

How are you guys feeling about the story so far? Make sure you comment any thoughts (or conspiracies) you have, I'd love to hear them. (And I'll try to respond asap!)

Alright lovelies, keep your eyes peeled for chapter 6, love ya! <3